Photo by Samantha Davis. Lynd Public School students Jax Rathman and Axel Evans prepare their fishing poles during an ice fishing field trip Monday morning at Rock Lake. Teacher Martin Boucek brought out a group of students with the help of volunteers.

RUSSELL — Students from Martin Boucek’s science class at Lynd Public School had the opportunity to get out of the classroom and go ice fishing on Monday at Rock Lake near Russell.

“The kids had a great time,” Boucek said. “We were safe and they all braved the weather.”

Although there were no fish caught, the trip was made possible by local support and a hefty group of volunteers.

Boucek receives donations and support from Runnings, Striker and Cabelas to help with his student experiences, which he expressed deep gratitude for. Efficient Electric also donated all the bait for students.

Also on the fishing trip was a handful of volunteers from school board members, to parents, to Lynd residents.

“I think this was a testament, to having that many parents come out and help, to the dedication in Lynd, having all those volunteers there in that kind of weather,” Boucek said. “We had a steady supply of helpers, which was really important yesterday. This would have been pretty much impossible for myself or just two teachers to pull that off.”

This was the first time Boucek was able to bring his class ice fishing, and was able to make it happen through the No Child Left Inside grant assistance from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“None of it could have happened if we didn’t receive the DNR grant in the first place,” Boucek said.

The purpose of the program is to extend efforts to connect students with the outdoors and to do more activities hands-on.

Although the day was windy, the students were eager to claim their spots on the ice and cast their fishing poles. Boucek credited his class for taking on the cold with a positive attitude and still having fun.

“I had some students saying today (Tuesday) that was their first time they’ve ever walked on ice,” Boucek said.

The adults were able to bring and set up a few warming houses that students could step into as well.

Boucek strives to find outdoor opportunities for his students, and they are also continuing their trout study. They first went to Camden State Park to test various organisms in the trout designated stream in October.

The students are currently growing the trout at school, and plan to release them in the stream toward the middle of April.

Boucek works with the Trout in the Classroom program for that study, which has been around for three decades and works with schools across the state. The program provides the trout eggs to the class, which they received in December.

The ice fishing trip was a success despite the lack of biting fish, and Boucek said it was a good experience for everyone involved. He plans to do another field trip next winter.